‘This is Wisconsin’s Foxconn Bonus’

Wednesdays with Walker

Reforming Welfare to Give a Hand Up, not a Handout

The last time Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was at 3.0%, Tommy Thompson was Governor. Things were good then, and they’re pretty good now. That’s why former Governor Thompson and I visited job centers across the state last week.

We talked with fellow Wisconsinites about welfare reform and the positive impact it is having on families. We also discussed job training programs to help get Wisconsinites working.

With historically low unemployment and a booming state economy, now is the time to focus on expanding our workforce.

By expanding successful programs, like Wisconsin’s FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET), we can help Wisconsinites learn employable skills to help them and their families move from government dependence to true independence. Wisconsin’s FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) has already helped more than 25,000 FoodShare recipients reenter the workforce and move off of government assistance.

Investing in these successful programs will open the door for more families to move into the workforce and off of government dependence. We are giving families a hand up, not a handout.

‘This is Wisconsin’s Foxconn Bonus’

Foxconn once again showed their commitment to Wisconsin this week when they announced their plans to purchase a building in downtown Milwaukee from Northwestern Mutual. This investment is on top of their plans for their $10 billion Mount Pleasant facility. Foxconn will create up to 13,000 jobs directly, 22,000 jobs indirectly, and 10,000 construction jobs to build the facility.

This new facility is a seven-story building in downtown Milwaukee that will serve as Foxconn’s Milwaukee headquarters. This is a brand new investment completely independent of any state incentives. This is Wisconsin’s Foxconn bonus.

And, it is just the start of the ripple effect we knew would come after Foxconn committed to Wisconsin last year.

Once operational, Foxconn will spend $700 million a year on payroll, generate between $116-$157 million in state tax revenue, and it will spend roughly $1.4 billion each year with other businesses in our state. Overall, Foxconn is expected to have at least a $7 billion annual economic impact on Wisconsin.

Welcoming Foxconn to their new home this week was yet another step in bringing new jobs and economic opportunities to Wisconsin.